Redemption of Evil
by Sabin Figaro
Summary: Zidane gives Kuja the chance to redeem himself after all the wrong his had done. Will he take the oppurtunity to amend that which he had destroyed?


Authors Notes: This is a story I had been working on quite awhile ago. It is based after the events of FFIX, directly after Zidane goes into the Iifa Tree, up until he is reunited with Garnet once more in Alexandria, almost one year later. Please enjoy, and R&R to give me inspiration to write more. But bear with me, for more of my time is placed into Cetra Reunion, my FFVII fanfic.  
  
Disclaimer: All characters here to mentioned within my fanfic are the sole property of Square Inc and their creators, and as such, do not belong to me. I make no profit off this story. Nor any of my others.  
  
*~*  
  
`Denotes thought, or voices heard in the character's mind`  
  
*~*  
  
Prologue - One Realisation  
  
"I am not dead, I shall never be dead! For as long as there is life and death, I shall live forever, in your kinds deepest fears!"  
  
Zidane bitterly remembered the last words of the evil diety he and his friends had just fought previously.  
  
"No! It isn't true! We killed you! Vivi, Eiko, Garnet, Freya, Quina, Amarant, Rusty and I! We all fought on with the spirits and memories of the others on Gaia. We made sure you were put to rest, and destroyed your cage of evil! There is no way you can still be alive! Why do you still linger in this world?"  
  
Zidane asked himself as he began to climb the thick roots of the Iifa Tree that held Kuja, whom he just fell straight past.  
  
Life seemed to freeze as he did so, kinda like in his dreams of miscatching Garnet when he went to save during the time of Alexandrian's destruction. His heart began to ache as he wondered what would have happened if he wasn't there. He quickly pushed the thought from mind in order to concentrate on the task at hand.  
  
Slowly he gripped the leafy vine, and pulled himself up, each pull bringing him slowly closer to Kuja, his legs gripping tightly into the fleshy cells so he wouldn't slip back down. Upon finally reaching the top, he pulled himself over the edge, into a large nest where Kuja was nestled in the leaves.  
  
"Kuja!" Zidane shouted, seeing him with a large wound in his stomach, his hand covering it. The wound looked very painful.  
  
"Why...?" Kuja turned his head to face Zidane. "Why did you come for me?" he closed his eyes slowly, resting them. Coughing a little, blood dripped down the side of his cheek.  
  
"Hang in there Kuja! I am going to get you out of here! I came because you are my brother. I would never leave my brother behind! You are like the other genomes and myself. We are all alike, brothers and sisters!" he sat down next to Kuja. "Now considering the trouble I had to go through getting in here, I don't see how I am going to get you out, but I'll try anyway!" Zidane said slowly, a smile appearing on his face. "Cheer up Kuja! You have been in situations far worse then this!" Zidane laughed a little as he spoke, Kuja smiled weakly, remembering the battles he fought while facing Zidane and the others.  
  
"Yes...they were...far worse..." the smile slowly faded from his lips as a low rumbling was heard. Millions of roots and vines lashed out at them through holes and cavities located within the trees heart. The roots and vines sped towards Zidane and Kuja, Zidane threw himself over Kuja to protect him closing his eyes tightly as he did so.  
  
"Gaia...protect us..." Zidane whispered as everything went dark.  
  
`My children...live long and strong...don't forget me...and destroy The Iifa Tree at all costs!`  
  
Words slowly echoed through Zidane's head. He opened his eyes as a light breeze brushed over him and Kuja, he looked around at the surrondings.  
  
"Am I in heaven?" he asked himself, and Kuja at the same time.  
  
"G-Garland...it is his doing!" Kuja muttered before finally blacking out from the deep wound.  
  
"Kuja! Hang in there!" Zidane shouted looking around, spotting Lindblum. "We must be on the King Ed plains! I'll get you to a doctor in Lindblum Kuja! Just hang in there!" Zidane yelled, picking up Kuja on his back, piggy backing him as he ran through the grassy fields towards Lindblum's Serpent Gate which lay at the base of the King Ed Plains and the large town that was Lindblum.  
  
*~*  
  
"Zidane..." Garnet whispered softly to the setting sun off on the horizon, and the dot that was him which was now a mere speck. "I'll miss you...you promised to come back to me! So come back soon!" she sobbed a little as she spoke, firmly griping the railing of the Hilda Garde 3, with her right hand bunched into a fist and placed on her chest lightly.  
  
Eiko walked up beside her looking at the now distant figure of Zidane. "Stupid fool! Why didn't you leave Kuja to die?" Eiko yelled out, as tears flowed down her small pale cheeks. "Kuja killed my Mog! I can't forgive him for that! All the devestation..." she broke down into tears, Garnet cut her off.  
  
"Eiko...please..." she whispered, barely audible, as she turned to face Eiko.  
  
"Sorry Garnet..it's just..." Eiko started, being cut off again.  
  
"I know..." Garnet replied softly, still staring out into the horizon.  
  
"I'll be inside if you need me..." Eiko replied, turning toward the oaken door which lead to the engine room. She gripped the handle tightly, turning to face Garnet, watching her slowly, a saddened expression crossed her face. "Poor Garnet..." she muttered as she jerked the handle down, opening the door and quickly steping through, allowing it to close behind her.  
  
"Zidane..." Garnet whispered once more.  
  
*~*  
  
Beatrix look out onto the expanse of the Paluai plains, that surronded the now animated Iifa Tree. Dreaded thoughts flooded through her head, relating to the turmoil and chaos displayed before her, below.  
  
"The Iifa Tree is alive!? What if..." She is snapped back out of her thoughts by an elite Alexandrian soldier, whom saluted her on arrival.  
  
"Ma'am! The main party has been retrieved. Everyone is okay! Orders have been recieved to head to Lindblum for a celebration feast. Withdraw immeadietly." She smiled a little at the small grunt of relief that Beatrix offered.  
  
"Steiner..." She muttered as the thought of him appeared in her head. She remembered how the two of them valiently held off the mist monsters that attacked Alexandria that day long since passed. "You are safe..."  
  
A smile appeared upon her lips, immedietly she turned to the communication device on her left. She lifted that small silver hatch and spoke into the thin metal pipe. "We have orders! Turn the ship around. Set the course for Lindblum Grand Castle. We shall be meeting everyone there!" The smile on her face grew as she finished, the thought of seeing Steiner again burning deep within her heart.  
  
"Steiner..." She whispered once more. 


End file.
